Newel structure for passenger conveyors



May 6, 1969 D. E. VAN vooRHls 3,442,367

NEWEL STRUCTURE FORYPASSENGER CONVEYORS Filed May 18, 1967 FIG. 2

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United States Patent() U.S. Cl. 198-16 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A newel structure for passenger conveyors wherein the handrail driving chain thereof is lifted to free its sliding shoes from their rail and is supported by the chain rollers for a combined rolling and/or sliding action of those rollers on a low friction guide during the arcuate travel around the newel positions.

CROSS REFERENCE The invention is an improvement of the structure illustrated and described in U.S. Letters Patent 2,979,180 entitled Handrails for Moving Stairs, Leo V. Cole.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The invention relates to conveyors for carrying objects along a predetermined path, usually of step formation.

Description of the prior art The art of moving stair conveyors and moving sidewalks includes handrails used in combination with and forming part of the moving conveyors. Handrails have been made up of a flexible lbody secured to a cont-inuous chain which travels in a predetermined closed path, the exposed portion of which parallels the passenger conveying element and which travels in unison with the movement of the conveying elements. Typically, the chain has been driven by sprockets disposed at the ends of the useful run of the handrail, as at the upper and lower newel positions in a moving stair. In passenger conveyors of this type where it is desired to dispose the driving sprocket means in locations other than newel positions, difficulty has arisen in attempting to reduce the fractional characteristics of the handrail member as it changes direction in the region of the newel positions.

It is an object of the invention to provide a newel structure for handrails which provides for minimal coeflicient of sliding friction in the region of the newel positions.

Another object of the invention is to produce a newel structure for handrails which is smooth and quiet in operation.

Still another object of the invention is to produce a newel structure which will enable the more economical manufacture of passenger conveyors.

SUMMARY The objects and advantages of the invention may -be achieved in a passenger conveyor handrail for movement about curved paths of travel such as at the newel positions, where the handrail member is connected to a drive 3,442,367 Patented May 6, 1969 curved paths of travel of the conveyor for simultaneously lifting the handrail member, drive chain, and guide shoes, and supporting the entire load thereof in the region of the curved paths of travel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects and advantages of the invention will become manifest from reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention when considered in the light of the accompanying drawings, in which;

FIGURE l is a fragmentary elevational view of a newel structure for a passenger conveyor of the moving stair or moving sidewalk type, embodying the features of the invention with portions thereof cut away to more clearly illustrate the structure; and

FIGURE 2 is a sectional View of the structure illustrated in FIGURE 1 taken along line 2 2 thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a newel construction for a handrail for a passenger conveyor which includes a handrail bellows member 10 of which the handrail is primarily composed. The handrail bellows member 10 has a plurality of spaced channels 12 formed in the outer surface thereof. The handrail bellows member 10 is preferably formed -by a molding process, of rubber or suitable elastomeric composition having sufficient flexibility to travel in their orbits, around the newels located at ends of the conveyor run. The lowermost edges of the handrail members 10 are formed inwardly therewith and form, in effect, a bead adapted to overlap and conceal certain parts of the handrail trim from view and also function to protect the handrail mechanism from the insertion of o-bjects thereinto by passengers. Each of the channels 12 formed in the handrail members 10 is adapted to receive a bracelet 16, with the outer surfacesthereof being slightly below the peaks of the walls defining the channels, as illustrated in FIGURE 1 and with the peaks providing a substantially non-slipping gripping surface for passengers.

Suitable clip means (not shown) are suitably imposed in cavities at spaced intervals in the handrail members 10 and are anchored in the body of the member 10. The clips are employed to attach a plurality of pairs of spaced shoes 18 to the handrail mem-ber 10. A chain receiving channel 20 is formed longitudinally of each of the shoes 18 for receiving the lower portion of alternate paired, notched links 22 of the handrail driving chain. The handrail driving chain is further comprised of alternate paired links 24, the opposite ends of which are adapted to be connected to the notched links 22 by conventional pin means. The pin means 26 extends coaxially through roller members 28. It will be readily appreciated that the handrail bellows member 10 is, in effect, an extensible member; while the chain is a non-extensible member, each formed as a closed loop with the non-extensible member disposed on the neutral axis of the composite closed loop.

The shoes 18 are each provided with longitudinally ex tending track receiving channels 30 formed in one face thereof. The channels 30 have gently curved leading and trailing edge portions` as clearly illustrated in FIGURE 1.

The balustrade of the conveyor includes an outer member 32 which generally parallels the path of travel of the conveyor and may be satisfactorily formed of a suitably strong lightweight metal extrusion. Excellent results have been achieved by forming the member 32 of an aluminum alloy. The member 32 includes a longitudinally extending outwardly projecting stem 34. In the newel regions, a track 36 which is substantially thinner than the channels 30 of guide shoes 18 is fixedly secured by means of threaded fasteners 38. The track 36 is an extension of another track 40 which is of slightly greater thickness dimension and is employed in the runs of the conveyor intermediate the newels. The track 40 provides the supporting surface for the channels 30 of the shoes 18 during these straight runs so that shoes slide thereon. At the newels, track 36 is maintained free of the shoes since the forces of the turns are such that continued contact around the turns frictionally develops heat. At the newels track 36 is employed as a retainer to prevent the lifting of the handrail from the newel. As viewed in FIGURE 2, the underside of the track 36 advantageously engages the lower wall of shoe channel 30 before the flared portion of shoe 18 engages the inner wall of member 32 conforming thereto.

Radially outwardly of the track 36 is an arcuately shaped guide strip means made up of a metal bar 42 having a strip 44 of a material offering a low coefficient of friction with the driving chain links :and rollers. One such material is polyurethane plastic. As clearly illustrated in FIGURE 1, the opposite ends of the plastic strip 44 are bevelled as at 46 where the handrail enters the newel region to provide a ramp which picks up the chain rollers, thereby lifting the shoe free of track 40 prior to its travel into register with track 36. Both ends of the newel region are provided with ramps 46 to facilitate transition of the chain between the newel region and the normal runs and to permit operation of the handrail in either direction, i.e. with it advanced to the newel region at either the upper or lower portion as viewed in FIGURE l.

Typical assembly of the assemblage is accomplished by initially causing the bracelet 16 to be engaged within the channels 12 of the handrail bellows member 10. The clip means, as illustrated and described in U.S. Patent 2,979,180, depending from the member is a line with the notched links 22 and is secured thereto. With the chain and the handrail member 10 aixed together, the shoes 18 are pressed into the clips and the chain receiving channel thereof is brought into registry with the links 22 and the shoes are locked into place. The handrail bellows member 10 is positioned on the aligned track 36 and 40 by feeding the same over the tracks in such a fashion that the oppositely extending flanges of the tracks extend within the respective ones of the longitudinally extending track receiving channels 30 on paired and transversely opposed guide shoes 18.

Normally, the track receiving channels 30 ride in frictional engagement with at least the upper surface of the track 40 during the straight line runs. However, when the handrail assembly was caused to be directed around the turn or bend of more than approximately 90, it was found that an increased frictional engagement was produced between the shoes 18 and associated supporting track. Accordingly, the invention was developed to overcome the frictional problem at the arcs defining the newel positions, a plastic strip 44 is positioned to support the load of the handrail by carrying the rollers 28 outwardly from the normally straight line run to thus lift the track receiving channels 30 of the shoes 18, out of engagement with the track 36. The bevelled ends 46 of the strip 44 aid in providing a gradual transition from the straight line run condition wherein the handrail member 10 is supported by the shoes 18 being guided on the track 40 to a condition wherein the handrail member 10 is supported by the rollers 28 of the drive chain riding on the strip 44.

The track 36 functions to assure that the handrail assembly is not accidentally lifted beyond the desirable limits during its passage around the newel positions. It will be noted that if the handrail bellows member 10 were lifted or pulled radially outwardly from the arc of travel, the oppositely extending flanges of the track 3 6 would contact the lower surface of the track receiving channel 30 of the shoes 18 and thereby militate against any further radial displacement.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle and mode of operation of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.

What I claim is:

1. In a passenger conveyor for movement along a predetermined path having curved portions, having an extensible member connected to a non-extensible member, both of which are closed upon themselves to form a continuous closed loop, and a plurality of spaced apart guide shoes containing longitudinally extending channels therein and associated with the loops for normally carrying the load thereof, the improvement comprising:

track means cooperating with the channels in the guide shoes for militating against radial movement of the extensible member and the non-extensible member during the travel thereof, said track member including a first segment of track, the outer surface of which provides support for the guide shoes and a second segment of track of relatively thinner dimension than said first segment and disposed in the curved portion of the predetermined path of the conveyor; and

guide strip means in the curved portions of the predetermined path of the conveyor for simultaneously lifting the extensible member, the non-extensible member, and the guide shoes, and supporting the entire load thereof in the region of at least certain of the curved portions of the predetermined path during the travel thereabout.

2. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said extensible member is a handrail for the passenger conveyor.

3. The invention defined in claim 2 wherein said nonextensible member is a drive chain.

4. The invention defined in claim 3 wherein said guide strip contacts the undersurface of said drive chain.

5. The invention defined in claim 4 wherein said guide strip is formed of a plastic material having a low coefficient of sliding friction with said drive chain.

6. The invention defined in claim 5 wherein said plastic material is polyurethane.

7. A handrail for a passenger conveyor comprising an envelope adapted to be gripped by the hand of a passenger on said conveyor; a series of links forming a chain secured to and located at least partially within said envelope, each link of said chain comprising a pair of spaced link elements and a pin joining said elements and extending transverse of the length of the chain; said envelope and chain being closed upon themselves to form a loop generally in a plane normal to said conveyor; guide shoes coupled to said envelope and chain at spaced intervals, each shoe having a groove parallel to the length of said chain and envelope and a depth of said groove generally normal to the plane of said chain loop; means to drive said envelope along a predetermined path; a first section of track having a length along said envelope and chain path and at least in part generally parallel to the path of said conveyor, having a width generally normal to the general plane of said envelope and chain loop, and having a thickness approaching but less than the width of said guide shoe grooves; means mounting said track with the opposed faces through its thickness and along its longitudinal edges exposed for fitting within said grooves whereby a side wall of said groove is slidingly mounted on one of said opposed faces; a second section of track having a length along said envelope and chain path having a width dimension and orientation corresponding to that of the width dimension of said first section, and having a thickness substantially less than the thickness of Said first section; a guide strip having a length parallel to said second track section, and having a width fitting between opposed, paired link elements of said chain; and means orienting said guide strip relative to said second section of track, said chain and said guide shoes to lift the said side walls of said grooves in said guide shoes free of said second section of track.

8. A combination according to claim 7 wherein said first and second sections of track are joined end to end as a continuous track run including an inclined face on 10 said guide strip in the vicinity of the junction of said ends of said sections whereby said groove walls for said shoes are gradually disengaged from said track.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,919,786 1/1960 Tilton 198--16 2,979,180 4/1961 Cole -..198-16 RICHARD E. AEGERTER, Primary Examiner. 

